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In years past, 12 was considered the lower end of the age range for the start of blackheads and whiteheads. With earlier onset of adrenarche (when the adrenal gland awakens) and menarche (first period), the authors of the guidelines suggest, “there appears to be a downward shift in the age at which acne first appears.” “I’ve definitely seen a shift,” said Dr. Latanya T. Benjamin , a dermatologist at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford, who did not help draft the guidelines. “It’s not uncommon for a 7- or 9-year-old to walk in with the first signs of acne.” But whether children are experiencing early, or precocious, puberty has been the subject of scientific debate. A more likely cause of the increase in cases, some experts say, is that parents are less tolerant of acne and doctors more willing to provide powerful acne treatments to children. Although widely prescribed, most of these drugs are used off-label, and only a few have been tested in children so young. Have a question about acne in children? Catherine Saint Louis will be answering select reader questions. Join in the discussion below.

Solta Medical Announces Isolaz 2 Acne System

is a global leader in the medical aesthetics market providing innovative, safe, and effective solutions for patients that enhance and expand the practice of medical aesthetics for physicians. The company offers aesthetic energy devices for skin resurfacing and rejuvenation, acne reduction, body contouring and skin tightening, as well as tools and accessories to optimize the latest liposuction techniques. Each brand is an established category leader, and together comprise of a comprehensive platform to address a range of aesthetic skin and body issues. Fraxel(R) delivers minimally-invasive clinical solutions to resurface aging and sun damaged skin. Clear + Brilliant(R) is a cost-effective, non-ablative laser treatment uniquely designed to improve skin tone and radiance. Isolaz(R) acne treatment combines vacuum and painless broadband light to address a wide variety of acne types. CLARO(R) is an FDA-cleared personal care acne device that uses heat and light to clear skin quickly and naturally. Thermage(R) is a non-invasive radiofrequency procedure that improves the appearance of wrinkles, which can result in smoother, more contoured skin. Liposonix(R) is a non-surgical single-treatment procedure that uses advanced high-intensity focused ultrasound technology to destroy targeted fat beneath the skin. VASERshape(TM) is a complementary non-invasive treatment that combines low frequency, non-focused ultrasound and lymphatic massage to temporarily reduce the appearance of cellulite and improve blood circulation with minimal pain or no downtime.

Acne No More: Review Examining Mike Walden’s Holistic Acne Treatment Released

The program's success has spawned a multitude of Acne No More reviews, prompting an investigative write up by NaturesMagicGift.com's Will DeMarco. "Chronic acne conditions can be extremely difficult for sufferers to deal with on a number of levels. Not only can acne be itchy and painful, but it can also lead to lowered levels of self-esteem, depression, and anxiety, so it's much more than simply a vanity issue," reports DeMarco. "Our new website NaturesMagicGift.com was created to get the word out about holistic treatments to common problems like acne, so when we heard about Acne No More we were very eager to review it for our website readers to see if it was something worth recommending." DeMarco's review explains that Acne No More was developed by medical researcher Michael Walden who created the program after suffering from recurring severe acne for over 12 years. Prior to developing Acne No More Walden unsuccessfully attempted to treat his own acne using everything from Dr. prescribed medications, to vegetarianism, to traditional Chinese medicine. Walden credits this string of unsuccessful treatments as the driving force behind his acne research which eventually led to his developing his program. "As someone who had fairly serious acne myself as a young man, I was very eager to hear about Walden's journey to develop this program," says DeMarco. "'Health-food nuts' like myself are always eager to learn about drug free solutions like this and we were impressed by Walden's all natural approach. One of the things we focused on in our review was Walden's assertion that topical cleansers and creams merely address acne symptoms and don't actually address the true cause of acne." Acne No More is available as a 220 page downloadable e-book. Because the program is available digitally online customers get instant access to all training materials including bonuses and one-on-one counseling with Walden himself.

Survey to Identify Research Priorities for Acne

Launching in association with the Acne Academy, the Acne Priority Setting Partnership will follow a proven mechanism for bringing patients and treatment providers together on a level playing field to establish real life research needs in the field of acne. Researchers in universities typically investigate questions which are rewarding to study even though they may not correspond with the issues that matter most to patients or healthcare professionals. In the case of acne, most clinical research is conducted and funded by pharmaceutical and cosmetic companies, whose priorities may differ considerably from those of people with acne and those who treat them. Launching on May 30, which the Acne Academy has declared as Acne Awareness Day, and available throughout June and July, patients will have the opportunity to tell researchers what their most commonly unanswered questions about treatments for spots and acne are by spending a few minutes completing an on line survey www.acnepsp.org . "Acne affects over three million adolescents and young adults in the UK as well as increasing numbers of people aged over 30 and can have a major impact on the lives of those affected. If we are able to work together to drive research which ultimately addresses patients' concerns and needs, we are going to be better equipped to work quickly to start clearing the spots associated with acne," says Alison Layton, consultant dermatologist, trustee and chair of the Acne Academy. Once all of the questions about acne treatments have been submitted, experts will systematically sort and prioritise them. Recurring questions indicate an important topic to patients and healthcare professionals, but similarly there may also be other questions submitted only once which are significant in that they reveal big gags in knowledge in the management and treatment of acne. As priority setting is an interactive process, the next stage is another survey in which everyone can vote for their favorite questions; a working group will then go through the shortlisted questions and agree which ones are the most important for scientist to address. The 'acne top 10' will then be publicized widely to make sure that researchers and those who fund them understand what really matters to people with acne and the wide range of professionals who provide treatment.

Pediatricians Endorse New Acne Treatment Guidelines

"It's a pretty effective agent, especially for mild acne," Eichenfield said. Benzoyl peroxide is also the most common ingredient in over-the-counter acne fighters. Another common one is salicylic acid, but there has not been much research on it. When it has been tested head-to-head against benzoyl peroxide, Eichenfield said, the latter has won out. If over-the-counter products do not do the job, the next step could be topical retinoids -- prescription medications like Retin-A, Avita and Differin. They are vitamin A derivatives and work by speeding up skin cell turnover, which helps unclog pores. The main side effects of all the topical treatments are skin irritation and dryness, the AAP said. If the acne is moderate to severe, oral antibiotics could be added to the mix because bacteria that live on the skin play a role in acne. When pores become clogged with oil and skin cells, bacteria can grow in the pore and cause inflammation.